The present invention relates generally to couplings for telescoping members, and more particularly to a coupling which may be readily and quickly manually manipulated to unlock the telescoping members for relative sliding movement or to lock them against such movement.
It is oftentimes desirable to provide pole-type devices with telescoping sections which permits the length of the pole to be increased or decreased. Telescoping pole-type devices usually comprise an outer tubular member within which slides a smaller-diameter member. Such devices include fishing poles or retrievers for recovering snagged fishing lures, golf ball retrievers and tripods.
Constructing these pole-type devices from telescoping sections permits the pole-type device to be contracted into a relatively short, compact length, for transporting, and to be extended into a relatively long length to fit the length requirements of the various uses to which the devices are put. In addition, it is oftentimes desirable, during a particular use, to increase or decrease the length of the pole-type device.
To facilitate lengthening and shortening of these pole-type devices, they are commonly provided with couplings which connect together the telescoping sections of the device. Typically, the coupling can be tightened to lock or hold the pole sections against telescoping movement relative to each other, and the coupling can be loosened to unlock the two telescoping sections and permit the smaller of the two to slide into or out of the larger section. Such couplings typically may employ threaded elements which are turned in one sense for tightening and locking purposes and turned in an opposite sense for loosening and unlocking purposes. Manipulation of these screw-type devices often requires a relatively longer period of time and more work than is desirable in situations where a quick pole length adjustment is dictated or is attractive.